Hey guys, it took me a while to find some time to post this, so I hope it's not too late! School is just so streeful for those first few days. I haven't really settled down into the routine yet so I'm still in a daze over it all. Work... ugh :(

So we are nearly at the Games now in the fic, so these chaps are going to be the lead up...

I really can't say thank you enough to all who you who faithfully review! It means so much to know you're reading this and what you think of it! I owe you guys big time. Thanks to smyle94 for my 150th review and to gethsemane342 and xX-ATwiNaturalHungerForVic-Xx, I can always count on hearing from you and you really keep me going!

I STILL DON'T HAVE CF!!! Depression...!

Anyways, thanks again and keep reading. Hope you like it and please review!

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Chapter Fifteen - Prim.

The light that spilled through the curtains that morning was an unfamiliar one; grey and bleak, it fought to shine bright as though the Capitol had caged the sun itself in a stonghold of dark clouds that only the dullest light could filter through. It was teasing me gently from my dreams with a gradual persistance.

Then suddenly, I felt a rough hand shaking my shoulder, yanking me out from the warm cocoon I had created in the mass of feathery blankets.

"Get up," said a gruff voice.

I sat up, alarmed, and squinted through bleary eyes, my hair sticking out at odd angles from my head.

"Haymitch?" I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Come on," he grunted, pulling me up and out of the bed. He grabbed my elbow and started walking quickly out of the room, with me stumbling behind him.

"What?" I pulled back, but he was too strong and I almost tripped over my feet, "What's going on?"

I looked quickly outside as we thundered past one of the train windows and saw the thin pink line of dawn on the horizon.

"Haymitch," I gasped, sliding behind him on the slick polished floor of the corridor, "What time is it?"

"Late," he gruffed, then laughed oddly, "Or early. Whatever way you want to look at it."

I shook my head, bewildered, but we were already stumbling into the dining room where we had eaten dinner the night before. The table was already set with the matching set of gleaming white plates it had held last time. I looked around, but the room was empty besides us.

We looked a ridiculous pair. He was still dressed in the loose fitting jumper and ratty trousers that he wore the day before and the stubby out line of his beard was burnt dark on his unwashed face. He smelt strongly of the sharp pang of some sort of spirits. I was in a stripy pair of pajamas and looked like I had fallen backwards out of a nightmare.

"Haymitch," I sighed, too tired to be annoyed, "What is this about?"

He looked me up and down for a minute, as though sizing up a reaction from me. He looked slowly, studying me closely and though he smelt awful and looked like the drunk he was, I noticed that his eyes were sharp and focused. I saw a gleam of sheer intelligence in his gaze that both comforted and unsettled me.

"You," he made it sound like an accusation, "You said that you trained for this?"

Had Katniss been talking to him about me?

"Yes," I started, my voice not quite shed of slumber yet, "Gale helped me to-"

"Here," he thrust something cool and light into my hand. I looked down to see a sterling silver cutlery knife from the table in my hand.

"What-"

"Throw it," he said like it wasn't a suggestion.

"I- I'm sorry?" I stammered.

"Throw the knife."

A strange noise escaped my throat, halfway between a squeak of terror and grunt of disbelief.

I stood, rooted to the spot uncertainly. The knife suddenly felt heavy in my clammy hand.

"Katniss and I once sat at that table," he gestured over my shoulder, "And had a bit of a disagreement, so she decided to show me a few of her knife wealding skills. I was quite impressed at the time. She has quite a temper, doesn't she?"

He seemed to be asking himself more than me.

"She's a real fighter," he stated, "Show me that you trained. Show me that you're a fighter, like your sister. Throw the knife at the wall over there."

I looked at him uncertainly.

"Go on," he encouraged, "It's okay."

So, ignoring my jiggling nerves, I took a deep breath and tried to pretend that I was at home with Gale, just another evenings practice.

I stood with my shoulder squared and lined up the knife, before flinging with all of my strength at the panelled wall across the room. It lodged for a nanosecond, then wobbled dangerously and clattered to the floor.

I looked at Haymitch shamefaced and he didn't look suprised.

"It's okay," I said quickly, "I have a plan. I don't actually have to be good, I just have to seem good."

"Seeming good won't keep you alive," he shrugged.

"Yes, but I-"

"Oh I know all about your little plan," he said, suprising me, "But you need to stop treating this like a friendship contest and more like the games. The real games. Life or death. Kill or die."

"I am," I shouted, frustrasted.

"No," he said gruffly, "You're banking everything on this plan of yours. And what if it goes wrong? What if it fails? What if the games play out like everyone expects them to and you have to really fight to survive and not just pretend to?"

"It'll be fine," I huffed.

"Fine isn't good enough," he shouted and I winced at the tone of his voice, "Fine is dead. Can you imagine how Katniss will feel when you get tossed home in a body bag?"

"Stop it!" I shouted back, my blood boiling, "Don't say that. Don't bring Katniss into this!"

"Well it isn't you who'll have to watch her suffer after you die," he retorted sharply, "Maybe she'll decide it's not worth it though. Maybe she won't be able to go on without you. Yes, I think so. She won't be long in following you willingly into an early grave."

With an inhuman shriek, I grabbed the nearest knife from the table and flung it at Haymitch with bloodcurdling speed. It whizzed through the air and lodged with a sharp thud in the wall beside him, like the first nail on a coffin.

Ten centimetres from his face.

I was breathing heavily, rage searing under my skin, so I didn't feel alarmed by what I had just done. Only satisfied. But then, after a moment of stillness, Haymitch smiled slowly, the smile taking minutes to spread from the corners of his mouth, all the way up to his eyes.

A sickening, knowing smile that spiked fury in my heart.

He had wanted me to get angry. He had played on my weaknesses to see what would happen. To see what I was truly made of.

"It doesn't matter what happens," I exhaled sharply, "What I have to do. What you want me to do... I am not going to lose myself to this madness. I will do what it takes to survive, to beat the system... but no more."

"That's the thing," Haymitch said softly, "That's what it takes to survive. To win... Losing yourself."

I turned away from him, bitterly.

A split second later, Reed strolled into the dining room, dressed already, with his hands in his pockets. Being Reed, he didn't sense the thirty foot thick wall of tension that had built up in the air.

He took in my appearance with a smirk, running his gaze from my head to my feet. I had forgotten that I was still in pajamas, with a serious case of bed head.

"You look as good as I feel," he grinned cheekily. I stared back, frozen, like a deer caught in headlights.

Finally, Reed looked behind me to see Haymitch pressed against the wall, a gleaming silver knife lodged in the wall centimetres away. His eyes widened perceptibly.

He gave me a strange look that lasted a few seconds and I couldn't decipher what it meant.

Then he laughed, "What did he do, try to eat your slice of toast, or something?"

I frowned, and looked back at the table to see that it had already been filled with food for breakfast. Odd. I hadn't seen anyone come in or out except for Reed. Katniss had told me before that everywhere was tended to by Avox's, but I had yet to set my eyes on one of them.

Reed rubbed his belly appreciatly, "I'm starved. Let's eat!"

He sat down immediatly and began chomping on a soft roll. After a minute, Haymitch followed suit so even though I wasn't much hungry, I decided I might as well fill up too.

I helped myself to fruit from the ice cold tureen on the table and a plate of eggs, potatoes and what I thought were called sausages. I noticed Haymitch thinning his orange juice with a clear liquid that I didn't want to guess the name of.

Effie arrived soon after us and sat down with a coffee and a lightly buttered bread roll, giving our filled plates a dissaproving glance.

Katniss and Peeta traipsed into dining room a while later, and just as Katniss moved away from him, I noticed that they had been holding hands. Katniss frowned and walked over to wall, where the knife I had forgotten about was still stuck.

She pulled it out with a sharp tug. I stared down at my plate and munched heavily. She looked from me, to Reed, to Haymitch, then back to me again but said nothing.
She took a seat beside Peeta and lay the knife gently on the table.

"It's a big, big, big day today," Effie broke the silence and I wondered if perkiness was a job requirement or an actual symptom of her personality.

"We'll be at the station soon, and you two will be going to your stylists," Peeta explained.

Katniss shifted tensely in her seat and Peeta gave her a reassuring look.

"Whatever your stylists want, just agree," Haymitch inputted.

Katniss nodded, "No matter what. You are in capable hands, so don't worry."

Suddenly, the train was flooded with a brilliant light that seared through every dark space and gave it light.

I looked out out of the window and gasped as the Capitol exploded into view in a kaleidoscope of vivid colours.

"We're here," I whispered.

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I had to go it alone once we got to the Remake Centre, and I felt intimidated yet strangely intruiged by the various assortment of Capitol people that were milling about the room. They were all so brightly coloured and extravagent. None of them looked like they had ever heard, much less understood the word subtle.

Decimus, a purple skinned man with white blond hair and an intricate, blue inked tattoo running from his left eyebrow to the corner of his mouth, was one of the stylists assistants and yammered away to me in a seriously high pitched voice for the lenght of my physical preperation for the stylist.

It was fascinating.

Katniss told me that she had requested her stylist from the year before and that he was lovely, but if Decimus was this flamboyant, I had my doubts about the actual stylist.

I had to go through a severe run over before I could even be considered somewhat acceptable. I was poked, scrubbed raw, waxed, my nails were clipped, my eyebrows shaped and somebody kneaded cocoa butter into the places of my skin that were hard and rough.

It was enough to make anyone sore and irritable.

The thin robe that I had been clutching for the last few hours was stripped on and off at their convenience and I couldn't help but blush as they studied my body closely.
The games really was an uprooting experience.

Then finally, after what felt like a torture session, Decimus squeeked "You can go in to see Cinna now. Just through that door over there."

He prodded me on my back and I grabbed at the robe, pulling it on before stepping over to the door. I looked back uncertainly, but Decimus was lost in the mass of multicoloured faces and so I had no other choice but to go right through the door.

"Hello, Primrose," Cinna said in a quiet voice that edged on warm and suprised me, "I'm Cinna. I have heard a lot about you."

"And I you," I murmered shyly as I sat down across from him on a red couch.

"You a very like your sister in some ways," he observed quickly and I didn't know what to say back.
"So, let's get right down to it," he clapped his hands seriously, "Portia, Reed's stylist, and I were discussing your costumes for the opening ceremony with Katniss and Peeta a while ago and we're thinking of expanding on last years theme, so it will lead into this years theme. Like leading from Katniss on to you."

"I don't understand," I frowned, hoping I didn't sound slow.

"Sunlight," Cinna smiled satisfied, "You will be sunlight."

"Sunlight?" I wondered aloud, "But that hasn't got much to do with our District."

"Sunlight has to do with everything, everywhere!" Cinna exclaimed excitedly, "And besides, you are aloud to expand on the ideas used before and fire is linked with sunlight."

"Okay," I said, still unsure, "So I'm not going to be on fire?"

He smiled, "No. But you will be much more that the girl on fire. You will be the girl who lights up the world."

When he put it that way, it sounded amazing but I didn't really see myself as that sort of person. What if I couldn't pull it off? But I had promised to agree with my stylists so I sighed and nodded.

Cinna smiled unnervingly.

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I felt a fit of nerves simmering beneath my skin as I climbed into the charriot for the opening ceremony. This time, it was being held earlier in the day, rather than the usual evening time, so I didn't have time to think about the actual ceremony. The silky material of the dress slinked against my skin as I moved, sheathed in light.

I was dressed simply in a long yellow dress that had small silver reflective stones embedded all over it like tiny mirrors. It was made of a material that I had never seen before and it had a slight glow to it, but nothing too flamboyant.

My hair was left down and blow dryed out so that it fell strongly below my shoulders in a flash of highlighted blonde.

The make-up was the biggest shock for me, however. My skin was tinted a shimmering honey colour and my cheeks were rosy pink. My eyes were huge and dark, drawn out as if by the light with smoky shadow and ebony eyeliner. My features were pencilled sharper, making me look older, fiercer, stronger.

I looked like a leader.

Beautiful and confident, coupled with the whisps of light that floated off of the dress, I looked dazzeling.

Like sunlight.

I wobbled slightly in the sparkly shoes that were altered to give me a boost in height. Cinna gave me an excited grin from the ground. I felt the carraige dip as someone climbed on and I turned to see Reed.

And I gasped.

At first he appeared to be dressed in a simple black shirt and trousers but then I saw.

The dark colours contrasted with his grey eyes and made them pop and shine. An ice white lining ran down the lenght of his outfit and the shirt shimmered of the same fabric as my dress, speckled with random flecks of silver like stars in the sky. Up close, I saw it wasn't just black, but a mixed swirl of ebony, greys, midnight blues, silvers and smudges of charcoal.

His face was somehow breathtaking. His dark hair was left in his usual messy style, as though it has been carefully aranged that way. That, topped with the shimmer of his skin and the sparkle of his eyes made him look like he was shining with a brilliant white light.

I immediatly got the insinuation.

He was moonlight.

He just looked at me as though we happened to run into each other in the town in our usual clothes.

"Have you got any idea what this has got to do with our District?" he asked with a raised eyebrow in the stylists direction.

"Not really," I smiled.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, "We're dressed as opposites!"

"You're only noticing now?"

He grinned sheepishly.

"This is it!" Cinna anounced, "Remember to smile! Shine like the sun, Prim!"

I nodded nervously.

There was a slight lull before we pulled into the City, and I realised that the crowds were waiting for us. After the last games, District 12 was right up top with the best of them. They were calling for us.

I heard them calling our names even before I could see the crowds.

When the charriot rolled out in front of the crowd under the sunlight, something amazing happened.

Reed and I exploded in a brilliant light that made me catch my breath. When the light shone on the fabric of our clothes, it reflected it back as though we had light bursting from our pores. Our skin was dazzling and I felt like I was swimming in light.

So this is what Cinna was planning.

I turned to Reed and smiled brightly. His eyes were wide with wonder and I laughed.

I caught sight of us on a large television screen and we looked breathtaking. We stood, side by side, sheathed in the most beautiful light that illuminated our features and made us look heavenly.

The contrast of our dark and light outfits was stunning.

I was blown away.

The crowds started screeching our names, showering us with flowers of every kind. I saw Reed waving animatedly at his admirers, so I began to as well. Reed leaned across me purposefully and waved at someone from my side. I elbowed him sharply and the crowd exploded in laughter.

He grinned at me and I was wordless at how he looked ablaze with light.

The thrumming music ribboned in with the shouts of joy and it felt like floating.

Then the charriots finished the circuit and it all came to a halt in front of the President's mansion. He gave the usual speech and good lucks all round as though he wasn't sentencing ten people to death.

I couldn't help but watch his cold eyes and feel smug.

You're finished, I thought, You're reign is over. We are going to bring you down and end all of your inflicted misery on Panem.

I smiled evily.

The cameras did a final run through of our faces as the charriots headed into the training centre and I noticed how they lingered on us, just a little bit longer than the other tributes, like a moth attracted to a flame.

When we pulled in, we were flocked with people immediatly, singing glorified praises.

"Perfect," Cinna smiled when I got to him, "Absoloutly perfect."

I smiled and thanked him. It was all his doing and I knew it well.

"So, that was..." Reed blew out a breath, unable to find the right words.

"Yeah," I agreed. Speechless.

"What's next, then?" he asks as we head towards the building.

I look up and feel a lump rise in my throat.

"Training," I murmer and it carries all the way to the Training Centre and bounces back like an arrow on target.

Our first time spent with the other tributes.

Okay Prim, I thought, this is where you come in.

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Again, thanks for reading and I hope you review!

I am getting off now before I read any spoilers of CF!!! :O

Currently reading: The Hand of the Devil by Dean Vincent Carter. Not sure if its any good yet but here's to hoping.

District Nine is out in cinemas now, I think. I have to see it! I want to see The Final Destination and Sorority Row too...!